Memories Long Washed Away
by Megz McGizzle
Summary: Sequel to Goodbye. Alan is alive and is living in a town near where the flood was, though he has no memory of his past. During a trip to the town, the boys see Alan and wonder if it's truly him.
1. Grief and a Forgotten Past

**Ok, so here's the sequel to "Goodbye", thanks to the **_**brilliant**_** idea given by shadowwolf919 :)**

**Also, some of the parts in "Goodbye" might not match up with what's going on here, so if it really bothers anyone, let me know and I'll try to change it. And please review, they help me get the inspiration to write more. Thanks everyone :)**

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A young man groaned, rolling onto his side. As he began to wake up, he realized he was in a room he did not recognize. Though he was extremely sore, he got out of the small bed and looked around. The room was brightly lit by a small window above the bed, and seemed to have no other light source but a blue lamp on the nightstand. The room was fairly plain, the bed and nightstand on one side, a bookshelf and drawer on the other.

Stumbling towards the door, he suddenly heard voices not too far away.

"What should we do with him? We have no idea where he came from!" a woman's voice said.

A man's sigh was heard. "Well he must be from somewhere near Toccoa, 'cause he must've come from the dam break," the man said. "We should report him to the authorities so they can find his family."

The woman also sighed. "Alright. We can probably take care of him until then, can't we, George?"

"Sure," he said lovingly. "You have such a big heart, Mary. Sometimes I wonder if it's too big." They both chuckled.

Sighing, the teenager decided to venture out of the doorway. Outside the door was a small hallway. Another bedroom was to the right at the end of the hallway, and a kitchen on the left. From the smell of food, the boy guessed the couple were in the kitchen. As he stepped in, the couple looked up at him in surprise. They were both elderly, with white hair and glasses. The woman was petite, with curly hair and a bright blue dress. She had a kindly face and caring smile. The man was slightly plump, with a peppered moustache and an equally gentle air.

"Well hello, dear," the woman said cheerily. "We weren't expecting you to be up for quite a while!"

The young man remained cautious, for he had no idea who these people were. "Where am I?"

The couple's faces sobered a bit, and they exchanged glances.

"Well," the man started, "While I was working in our fields and trying to fix some of the damage from the dam break, I found you lying unconscious. You must've come from Toccoa, where the dam broke."

The boy paused, looking strangely at the man. "Dam..?"

"Don't you remember what happened?" the woman asked gently.

He shook his head. Again, the couple exchanged glances.

"Do you remember your name?" the man asked by chance.

The boy stood in stunned shock. While he was thinking about his current situation, his mind hadn't passed over his own name.

After a moment, he replied shakily, "No, I don't…"

* * *

Silence was the only thing heard around the Tracy household. No one dared to speak, especially Gordon. Since the dam break in Toccoa almost a week ago, he feared that the others blamed him. Though the others often told him that they clearly didn't blame him, he refused to believe it and kept secluded. He would often stare at pictures of Alan for hours, somehow hoping that his little brother would return. Gordon adored Alan, and he knew it was also vice versa. Alan was his only little brother, and being an older brother was a title he truly adored. He savored the feeling that Alan looked up to him and trusted him, and that he had someone he could always turn to. But now he was alone. The youngest of his family. And it was all his fault. It was too much for him to bear. 

As Gordon sat on his bed alone as usual, he stared at his favorite picture of Alan. Alan was only 5, and he 6. Though only a year younger, Alan was much smaller than he was, and so was clinging to Gordon's neck as he straddled his back in a piggy-back ride. Gordon's arms supported Alan's legs, but still had to lean over to hold him. Both boys had enormous grins splitting across their faces, and Gordon could nearly hear the laughter coming from the photo.

Suddenly, the door opened and Gordon turned to face Virgil. Virgil was now the second youngest, and the closest friend Gordon had since Alan's death.

"Hey," Virgil said quietly with a saddened smile. Gordon said nothing and turned away. Virgil's smile lowered a bit, but stayed. "Come on, we were called to help remove the damage in Toccoa, and we need your help.."

Gordon cringed at the name of the Georgia town. Just the name made horrible memories resurface.

"Come on, Gordon, Dad and Scott need your help," Virgil urged. "I have to go switch with John for my shift on Thunderbird 5 and John won't be back in a while. You won't have to stay long, promise."

Swallowing hard, Gordon continued to stare at his picture. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, I'll go for a while…"

"Thanks, bro," Virgil said, giving Gordon a quick embrace then turning to leave.

* * *

As the young man and George walked along Carnes Creek, they could see the immense damage the large surge of water had done on the land. The boy felt a surge of fear as he thought of how his unconscious body had traveled so far. 

"Here," the older man suddenly said. The teen turned and took a small medal that was in the man's hand. "I think this was yours…I found it in your hand when you were unconscious. It must be some sort of honorary medal."

The boy stared at the medal. It looked so familiar to him, though he couldn't place it. On the top, there were wings with the letters "IR" in big bold red letters on them.

Extending it towards the man, he asked, "Do you know what this stands for?"

The man merely shook his head. "No clue. But look what's below that."

Bringing his hand closer, he stood staring at the medal. Beneath the insignia of wings, the name _Alan_ was printed neatly on a gold piece. Suddenly, he remembered images of an older man, though still younger than this man George, calling him by that name. However, he could still not place who that man was.

"Alan…that's my name! Alan…"

Pausing, he tried to bring back the memory of the man, but couldn't.

George walked up to him, and placed a hand on Alan's shoulder. "Come on, I'll bring you to Toccoa and see if you remember anything…Well, that's left standing that is…"

* * *

As Gordon continued to pick up piles of debris with Thunderbird 2's extending arms, he let out a sigh. The wreckage he saw continually kept reminding him of Alan's fall. However, he knew he still had to stay and help, so he tried as best he could to push the memories away. 

"How's it going over there, Gordon?" he heard Scott through the intercom.

"Fine, I'm almost done with this area," he said distractedly.

Suddenly, a pair of men walking nearby caught his attention. There was a stout old man and a young blonde man walking along, talking. Gordon stopped and stared at the blonde boy.

_He looks a lot like…_

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**Wow. That was pretty darn short. But hopefully I can update this soon! But probably I won't be able to until next weekend. Please leave reviews:)**

**Megz**


	2. Finally Found

**Hey guys, sorry for the short and crappy updates. I've been under a lot of stress lately from Model UN (my class gets a month less than the other classes to do everything. How does that work??), and haven't had much time to write stuff, but I try to anyway. Plus, I've been home sick all day and feel like crud. But I hope this chapter's a little better. Let me know :) **

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_He looks a lot like…_

"Alan…" Gordon wondered aloud.

Scott paused. "Gordon…" he advised gently. "Just try not to think about it…"

Gordon, snapping back to reality, shook his head, though his brother couldn't see. "No, there's a guy over here that looks exactly like Alan…"

Swallowing, Scott sighed, "Gords, you know he's gone…"

"No, I don't!" Gordon snapped. "We never found his…" He paused, the next word sending his stomach into somersaults. Then he continued, "We never found him…"

"Come on, Gordon," Scott moaned, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his temple. "Please stop making this harder than it already has to be…"

Gordon wouldn't give up. "Come on Scott, let's go talk to him, just for a minute," he urged. "Please?"

Scott had to pause for a moment, contemplating his brother's words. Sighing, he gave in. "Alright," he said resignedly. "But wait for Dad and I to get there, got it?"

"F-A-B!" Gordon said, and promptly landed Thunderbird 2.

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"Do you recognize anything?" George asked, watching Alan for any flashes of recognition in his eyes. Though Alan only shook his head.

Alan tried to survey every detail he could, occasionally sifting through a small pile or two of debris, though nothing brought memories to his mind. Suddenly, he heard a rumbling noise, and was startled when he saw a large green machine hovering above the ground nearby, and using automated extensions to clear away debris from homes and streets.

"What's that?" Alan asked in wonderment, watching it as it suddenly touched to the ground and fell silent. A man stepped out from a staircase that came out from the bottom of the ship.

"That," George said in awe for seeing the ship in person, "is a Thunderbird. They help people who are in danger or need help." Looking over to the horizon, he pointed to a tall, thinner ship sitting idle nearby. It was metallic silver with a red tip, and the number 1 was printed on its side. "There's another one."

Alan paused. "Thunderbirds…" he murmured. The name sounded so familiar, though he couldn't place it.

Suddenly, the man who had just stepped out of the green Thunderbird was joined by two other men. Both George and Alan watched curiously as one of the men pointed in their direction, the other two looking their way as well. Soon the three men were walking towards them, and Alan became nervous. As the three men approached, they stared wide-eyed at Alan, making him even more nervous.

"A-Alan?" the oldest man stuttered, obviously startled somehow. However, Alan was far more startled. Not only was he shocked that the man knew him, but that he was the man from the memory from before when he'd recalled his name.

"Who," he began warily, pausing for a moment. "Who are you..?"

The strange men didn't answer him. Instead, though Alan hadn't though it possible, their eyes became even wider. The two younger men glanced back and forth between the older man and Alan, their jaws hanging slightly agape. George stood by in stunned silence, unable to figure out what was happening.

Finally, one of the younger men took a step closer, Alan taking a step back in return. "Alan," he started, a sad expression beginning to show through. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Gordon Tracy, your brother!"

Alan stood shocked. _My brother..?_ The name suddenly stirred new emotions and pieces of memory within him, giving him a splitting headache, the thoughts and memories becoming too overwhelming for his mind to take. Clutching his head, Alan fell to his knees.

"Alan!" the three Tracys, along with George cried, rushing to help him. Alan, panicked and confused, pushed them away and turned to run.

Gordon, Scott, and Jeff, after exchanging worried and upset glances, began to run after Alan before George stepped in the way. Clearing his throat, George asked firmly, "May I ask what's going on?"

Jeff, impatient and wanting to find his son, simply rushed, "Look, I'm his father, and for the past week I've believed my son to be dead. And if you don't mind, I'd rather not lose him again."

George's expression suddenly changed to that of realization, awe, sympathy, and a mixture of other emotions. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered, stepping aside. "I was just trying to take care of him."

Jeff suddenly felt slightly ashamed for his cold words. "It's alright, thank you for your concern," he said, giving the man a gentle smile. Turning back to his sons, he motioned for them to follow him in running after Alan. They sprinted down the bank for over half of a mile before they finally found Alan huddled in a sitting fetal position, crying into his arms. Slowing to a walk, they approached Alan, hoping he wouldn't run again.

However, when they came close, he just looked up at them with tears streaming down his face. "I- I want to remember," he hiccupped, looking away ashamedly. "I know that I knew you…I just…I just can't remember…"

Scott, feeling so sorry for his brother, and extremely elated to have found him alive, dropped to his knees and carefully wrapped his arms around the small boy. Instead of fighting back as Scott had expected, however, he simply closed his eyes and sobbed even more. And as Jeff and Gordon did the same, Alan somehow felt safe.

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After giving grateful thank-you's to George and Mary, Gordon and Scott took Alan to Thunderbird 2 to fly him home, while Jeff took Thunderbird 1. Though extremely nervous at first, Alan had begun to enjoy the flight after a while. Something about it thrilled him. As Alan looked around the ship, he couldn't help but feel a sense of remembrance. Next to him, Scott sat in deep thought. Looking at his uniform, Alan noticed a medal on his collar, and was shocked when it was the same as his, though of course with a different name engraved on the bottom.

"Was I a…Thunderbird?" Alan suddenly asked, startling Scott.

Scott smiled hugely. "Yeah, you were! Do you remember anything about it?" he asked anxiously.

Alan thought for a moment, though wearily shook his head. "No, but I have this…" Pulling out the medal George had given him, he held it out to Scott.

Scott smiled sadly at the medal. Chuckling hollowly, he said to himself, "Huh, never thought I'd see this again…" Sighing, he looked at Alan. "You don't know how much we missed you."

Taking the medal in Scott's now outstretched hand, Alan looked at it sadly as well. "You don't know how much I want to…" Suddenly frowning, Alan asked, "What does 'I.R.' stand for?"

"It stands for International Rescue," Scott confirmed. "It's the official name of our rescue organization, but we're more commonly known as the Thunderbirds."

As Alan heard the name, his head became filled with pieces of old memories once more. Groaning in pain as his head began to throb, he leaned over and gripped his head.

Scott, suddenly worried, asked panicked, "Are you ok?"

Alan nodded as the pain slowly began to subside. "Just another headache…"

"Why don't you go lay down in the back," Scott suggested. "We still have a while to go 'till we get home anyway."

Nodding, Alan got up and stumbled towards the back. As he found a small cot, he exhaustedly collapsed onto it and fell into a deep sleep.

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A couple of hours later, Scott walked to the back of Thunderbird 2 moments after it landed. "Alan?" he called. When he got no response, he became slightly worried. However, he chuckled as he found his little brother sleeping soundly on one of the cots. Picking him up gently, he walked out of the ship and onto the tarmac where Gordon was already waiting.

Gordon, laughing slightly, said quietly, "That's our Alan…" Trailing off, he quickly wiped away a tear of happiness that he'd let flow from his eye. "I can't believe he's back…" Emotions threatened to overwhelm him, though he kept them subdued.

"I don't think any of us can…" Scott said with a smile, gazing down at Alan. Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Hey, Gords, did you call Virgil or John on our way back?"

Gordon's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh boy…" he muttered.

After exchanging worried glances, they both sighed. "Well," Scott said quietly, "I just hope we don't shock John into a heart-attack…"

Making their way up the steps to the house, Gordon slid open the glass door and walked in, Scott right behind him, Alan still sound asleep in his arms. "John..?" Gordon called nervously. For a moment, it was quiet, hope growing in both of the boys that their brother hadn't returned yet, giving them more time to call him first.

However, John suddenly came walking from the kitchen, obviously having just returned from Thunderbird 5, with a glass of water in his hand. "Hey-" he started, though cut himself off as he saw the form in Scott's arms. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped significantly. Dropping the glass of water that was in his hand, he didn't even flinch as it shattered against the floor. Several thoughts and questions raced through his mind, though none of them could form into sentences. His mouth tried to develop words, working up and down a couple of times, but his voice wouldn't work.

"John…" Scott trailed off, feeling sorry for not avoiding this sudden shock to his brother. "We…We found him…He's alive…"

"H-how?" John stuttered hoarsely, not taking his eyes off of Alan.

"A family took him in after the flood…Problem is," Gordon sighed, "He's lost his memory."

John could only continue to stare. After a long silence, he finally muttered, "Does Virgil know yet..?"

"Not yet," Scott confirmed. "But we're going to call him when Dad gets here."

As though on cue, Jeff came in through the sliding glass door behind them. Noticing John's shocked expression, Jeff glanced over at Scott and Virgil, Alan in Scott's arms. Both had guilty expressions. "Sorry, Dad, we forgot to call John and Virgil..."

Jeff groaned. However, when he looked down at Alan sleeping in Scott's arms, he couldn't help but give a small smile. "Scott, you put Alan in his room," he started, savoring the feeling of having Alan, his youngest son and baby boy back. "When you come back we'll call Virgil. As Scott left, Jeff went up to John and put his arms around his second oldest son. "Are you alright, John?"

John had tears running down his face, and he still seemed shocked, though he'd calmed down a bit. "Yeah," he said after a moment, giving a weary smile. "He…I- I can't believe he's back!"

"That's what I said," Gordon said jokingly. Soon, Scott came back into the room, and together they walked to the office.

Settling into his chair, Jeff let out a large sigh. "Well, are you ready to break the news to Virgil?"

The boys nodded. "I wonder how he'll take it…" Gordon wondered.

"If he's anything like John," Scott said teasingly, "Not so well."

John, though still crying a bit, gave a weak smile and lightly punched Scott's arm.

Jeff, smiling to himself a bit, pressed the com button. "Tracy Island to Thunderbird 5, are you there Virgil?"

Soon, Virgil's image popped up on the screen. "I'm here, Dad," he confirmed. When he saw his other three brothers in the room, and John with tears in his eyes, Virgil frowned in confusion. "What's going on?" When Jeff paused to take a nervous glance at his other sons, Virgil continued to insist, "Dad?"

Jeff, looking back at his son on the screen, took another deep breath. "Virgil, we have something very important to tell you…" he paused. Virgil looked at him nervously, waiting anxiously for him to continue. "Virgil…We found Alan…alive…"

Virgil's face turned from a frown to an immediate look of astonishment. Scott and Gordon once again felt a wave of guilt wash over them for not having called sooner. On the screen, Jeff and the boys could see tears gathering in Virgil's eyes. Virgil then began shaking his head, muttering, "This isn't funny…"

Jeff frowned sadly, feeling sympathy for his middle child. "We're not joking with you, Virgil. He's alive…But," he paused, Virgil suddenly becoming very tense. "He has memory loss and can't remember anything from before…the accident."

A long silence ensued, Virgil deep within his thoughts. Finally, he asked, "When…when can I see him?"

Jeff thought for a moment. "Well, we'll need Brains to look Alan over, but then I'll send him to take over your watch."

Still in shock, Virgil nodded distractedly. "F-A-B, Dad. See you soon…"

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	3. Challenges

**Ok, so right now I'm starting to wonder if anyone (except ****criminally charmed****, who's been like the best reviewer ever :) ), even likes my stories at all. Because hardly anyone ever reviews anymore, and I'm taking that as your way of saying my stories aren't that great…So, unless I start getting more reviews, this will be the last chapter I update for a while. Sorry, guys.

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_Screaming, Alan tried to find something to grab as he fell through the air. Suddenly, he could feel his body slam against the top of the icy waters. He was soon enveloped in the roaring water, struggling to get to the surface. As he clawed and fought to get out, he was constantly bombarded with chunks of debris, forcing him forwards and toward the bottom of the churning monster. His lungs could hardly hold out against the immense need for air and burned from the lack thereof. Suddenly, a large piece of metal slammed against Alan's back, and he let out a scream. Losing the only air he had in his lungs, and pain searing on his back, Alan fell into darkness.

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"You think he's still sleeping?" Gordon wondered aloud as he and his two oldest brothers walked through the halls towards Alan's room.

"Probably," John commented. "He's been through a lot lately…all of us have."

Scott sighed. "That's for sure…"

Suddenly, a piercing scream came from down the hall. Glancing at each other, the three brothers turned and sprinted down the hall. As they got to Alan's room, they threw open the door, rushing in. In his bed, Alan was thrashing around, swinging his arms around in the air. He was panting and his face was twisted in fear and dreamt pain.

Scott was the first to get to him, and he firmly gripped his brother's shoulders, trying to avoid him hurting himself. "Alan!" he called out to Alan, trying to wake him. "Alan, you're safe! Wake up!" However, Alan continued to struggle. "Alan!" Scott called one more time. This time, Alan's eyes flew open, darting back and forth until he saw Scott. He stopped struggling, and fell tiredly back onto the bed, catching his breath.

Looking up into his brother's eyes, something inside Alan stirred, and one of the clearest memories since the flood returned.

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"_Alan, I can't believe you were so stupid!" Scott screamed. "You could've gotten really hurt!"_

"_But I didn't…"a 9 year old Alan tried to defend himself weakly. He tried to bite back tears as he avoided his brother's gaze. He'd felt left out when his two older brothers were going on a mission, and had decided to sneak on board Thunderbird 2 before liftoff when no one was watching. The mission was easy and successful, though Scott was extremely mad when he found Alan near the back of the ship. _

"_But you _could have_ Alan! That's the point!" Scott continued to yell. "Why do you never listen, you little brat?"_

"_Scott!" Jeff reprimanded Scott firmly, though he continued to rant at Alan._

"_I've told you a _thousand _times that you can't come until you're a Thunderbird! And you know what? At this rate, you'll never be one!" _

_Alan finally broke into tears with the last remark and ran from the room._

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"Alan?" Alan heard Scott say, snapping him back to reality. Nervously, he looked up at his older brother who was now sitting next to him. _What if he's still like that..? I can't remember anything else about him…_ "Are you ok?" Scott said with worry in his voice, though Alan still stayed wary.

"I'm fine," he muttered.

Soon, Jeff came running into the room as well. "What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

Alan lowered his gaze in embarrassment, unwilling to meet any of the men's eyes. "Bad dream…" he murmured.

Jeff, going around to the other side of the bed, set a gentle hand on Alan's shoulder. "It's ok Alan, you're safe now…" When Alan simply nodded, Jeff continued, "Do you think you'll be up to a medical check-up?"

Alan swallowed, but nodded quietly. Jeff squeezed his shoulder gently, and Alan somehow felt a little calmer. Turning to his watch, Jeff called Brains from his wrist-com. Not long later, the scientist came running into the room, Fermat close behind. Neither could believe their eyes, so they cleaned their glasses and checked again. When they still saw Alan, huge grins split their faces.

"A-Alan!" Fermat cried happily, rushing over to his friend. However, Alan merely sat and stared oddly at the other boy. When Fermat noticed his odd expression, he frowned. "Alan? W-what's wrong?"

"Fermat," Jeff started gently, "Alan can't remember us…He's lost his memory…"

Fermat stood taken aback, his expression a mix of sadness and worry. "W-will he b-b-be alright?"

"Well," Scott said, standing up. "That's what we were hoping your dad could tell us."

Nodding, Brains immediately walked over and began checking Alan. He shone a light in his eyes, checked his vital signs, hearing, and seeing, and asked a few minor questions. A few minutes passed, and the others were getting anxious. Finally, Brains turned, stuttering, "W-w-well, it seems h-he has a s-s-slight concussion and w-will have to stay in bed f-for a while. Other than th-that, he should be f-f-fine."

"And his memory?" John insisted. The others obviously wondering the same thing.

"I'm n-not sure if he'll g-g-get it back or n-not…" Brains said dismally, wringing his hands a bit. "O-o-only time will tell i-if he regains it. You a-all can help b-b-by surrounding him with familiar o-objects, music, e-e-etcetera. F-for now, he needs to r-r-rest."

The others nodded, each silently praying it would eventually return. When Brains turned to leave, Jeff spoke up, "Oh, Brains, do you think you could take over on Thunderbird 5 for a while? Virgil really wants to see Alan…"

Smiling sympathetically, Brains nodded. "O-of course, Mr. Tracy." He then turned and left the room, and brought a distraught Fermat with him.

Jeff, who now was sitting next to Alan with an arm wrapped around his son's shoulders, turned to his elder sons. "We should take shifts watching over him, to make sure he doesn't have any more nightmares."

"I'll go first," Scott suggested, the others nodding in agreement.

However, Alan became nervous and looked to his father. "No, I want you to stay instead," he whimpered. He didn't care if he sounded like a child, he just knew he didn't want the angry brother to stay with him in the fear of being screamed at. Alan kept his gaze on Jeff, pleading with his eyes, while Jeff glanced up at Scott. His eldest son seemed hurt, though he quickly hid it. Scott, nodding, said with a slightly cracked voice, "Alright, I'll come back later then…" And without another word, he spun on his heel and left. John and Gordon had upset looks on their faces, and quickly followed after him.

Jeff looked down at Alan, who now seem much more relaxed and was now leaning against his chest. "Why didn't you want Scott to stay with you?" he asked quietly.

Alan's face fell a little bit, and he lowered his gaze. "I…I only have one memory of him…and it was of him shouting at me…I was scared he was still like that…" he muttered. Even though he hardly knew this man, he somehow knew he could trust him.

Jeff was stunned. "Alan, Scott loves you…" he told him firmly, yet with a gentle tone. "Sure, you've made some mistakes in the past, and so has he. But he's your brother, and even though you can't remember it, he loves you very much. We all do, Alan."

A tear slid down Alan's cheek. "If only I could remember…I'm so sorry…" he whispered, clinging to Jeff's shirt.

Wrapping his arms around Alan, Jeff felt badly for the boy. "It's ok, Alan…it's not your fault…" he told him softly, Alan digging into his shirt even more.

Around the doorway, unseen by Jeff or Alan, Gordon stood listening. "No, but it's mine…" he whispered to himself, walking away.

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**Sorry it's such a short chapter. If I get some reviews, I'll try to update it sometime this week. :)**


	4. Fights and Talks

**Ok, I'm really, really sorry for not updating for so very long. I promise, it wasn't because of the number of reviews- a lot of you did review, and I really appreciate that. It's just with Model UN coming to a close and everyone trying to scramble to finish, finals, family stuff, and friend issues, I've had a lot on my plate to deal with. **_**Plus**_**, there have been a couple of shootings near my neighborhood in the last couple of weeks and that just adds to the lovely pile of stress. But moving on. Here are a few replies for reviews :)**

**criminally charmed- I'll try to bring in Tin-Tin, but I'm more of a brotherly love person (probably 'cause I wish I had brothers. I'm a lonely only child. haha.) But I'm glad you like my story so much :)**

**getpink- Glad you like it. But you'll find out what happens to all of the boys soon :)**

**princessezzy- I was kinda aiming for that to come through about the vulnerability, and I'm glad you saw it! Thanks for the review :)**

**shadowfox8- Thanks so much for the support. And I'll definitely support you when you make your story, too:)**

**shadowwolf919- Your idea was definitely awesome, thanks again. And I'm glad you like it so far!! Let me know when you change your name so I'll know it's you :)**

**Iniysa- Thanks for the support on my story! I appreciate it :)**

**Kristina- I'll definitely try to get the POVs of all the boys in this chapter. Glad you like it, and sorry for the wait. :)**

**NoOnesBaby- Thanks so much, I'm glad you like my stories so much:)**

**And thanks to everyone else who reviewed, you're all awesome. :)**

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Walking into the living room, Scott heaved a sigh as he collapsed into the couch. John followed close behind, letting himself fall into the recliner. Neither of the men spoke for a few moments, each sifting through their multitude of thoughts. 

"Hey, what happened to Gordon?" John suddenly asked. "I thought he was right behind us."

As though on cue, Gordon came ambling in to the room, head lowered. His eyes were distant and glazed over. He continued to walk through the room towards the kitchen, taking no notice of either of his brothers.

"Hey Gords," John said softly. Gordon looked up silently at his brother, his eyes filled with hurt. Without saying a word, he lowered his head once more, swallowing hard. Quietly, he left the room into the kitchen.

"What's his problem?" Scott mumbled once Gordon was out of earshot.

John glowered at his brother. "One guess, Scott."

Scott paused for a moment, returning his brother's angry stare. "What, you don't think I'm upset too?"

"Yeah, we all are Scott!" John returned angrily. "But Gordon thinks it's his fault! We should be supporting him, not getting angry at him!"

"Yeah, but he's not the one_ Alan_ blames!" Scott snapped back, his eyes also shining with a hint of pain.

John stared at him for a moment. "What? What do you mean by that?"

"You know perfectly damn well what I mean!" Scott growled, standing up. "Didn't you see how Alan reacted when I told him I was staying with him? He freaked out! He has to think it's my fault." Scott paused, taking a shaky breath. "But maybe it is…"

Shocked, John sat in silence for a moment, before quickly recovering. "It is not, Scott," he urged, feeling calmer now, "You know that. We all know it was no one's fault this happened."

"How do you know, John? You weren't even there!" Scott snapped. "I was with him just a couple of minutes before the dam broke, I could have told him to go back before I got into Thunderbird 2! But I didn't, and he nearly died!"

"It wasn't your fault, god-damnit!" John yelled. "Stop saying it was!"

"But it was my fault, John!" Scott bellowed in return.

John began to get livid once more, now getting to his feet to meet his brother's gaze. "You know I wish I could've been there, but I had my duties on Thunderbird 5! And don't you _dare_ turn the blame on me! And you know what? If you're so insistent, then fine! It was your fault, so stop taking it out on everyone else! And while we're at it, why don't we just say Mom's death was your fault too!" Immediately, John knew he'd said the wrong thing.

Scott's eyes blazed with a sudden and murderous rage. "Take that back you little bastard," he growled dangerously, moving to hit his brother. However, he was stopped by Virgil's breathless voice coming from the back door.

"Where is he?" Virgil asked rushing in, panting. He stopped short, though, when he saw the furious air shared between his two brothers. "What's going on?" he asked carefully.

Neither of his older brothers dared to speak for a moment, each glaring at the other. However, Scott suddenly broke the tense air. "Nothing," he muttered, never breaking eye contact. "I was just leaving." Sulkily, he quickly turned to leave through the patio door.

"And where do you think you're going?" John grumbled. Scott turned and glared once more.

"What's it to you?" Scott retorted angrily, again turning on his heel to leave. He soon disappeared past the pool and down the path to the jungle.

After a moment of silence, Virgil turned to his brother. "What was _that_ about?"

John continued to stare angrily out the window where Scott had just disappeared. He stayed quiet for a moment, then finally broke his gaze to look at Virgil. "Nothing, I'll tell you later," he sighed. "Come on, I'll take you to see Alan."

* * *

Once Scott had made it through the winding jungle path to the beach near the villa, Scott paused for a moment and silently slid off his shoes and socks. He then took off on a jog along the sandy shore. 

Left. Right. Left. Right.

Scott focused on his breathing, keeping it at a steady rate. It somehow calmed him to feel his feet pounding forward beneath him in a steady rhythm, pushing him forward, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes closed, he kept the silent rhythm of his feet in sync with his breathing, focusing on nothing else, and letting the world around him drown away. However, he was suddenly swept away from his trance when he stumbled on a rock. His eyes flew open, and he immediately recognized where he was. He was standing on the edge of a small cove, a few rocks lining the shore as the waves rushed in and out of the small indent in the beach.

Smiling faintly to himself, Scott walked forward. He stepped gently into the cool water, letting the waves lap at his feet. He always enjoyed coming here when he felt stressed, and he knew his brothers did too. He'd often found Alan and Gordon here when either was upset and needed to talk, and Scott found they had adopted it as their special spot.

Suddenly, he heard a large sigh coming from the other side of a large boulder, commonly known as the brothers as Marble Rock because of its nearly perfect round shape. Curious, he stepped around to the other side as quietly as he could. Sitting on the sand and leaning onto the large rock was Alan, staring out into the ocean.

"Alan?" Scott asked startled, Alan being the one person he least expected to be sitting there. Alan spun around at the sound of Scott's voice, his eyes obviously drooping with exhaustion.

"I-I'm sorry," Alan fumbled nervously with his words, scrambling to his feet. "I just wanted to come out here for a minute…"

Scott frowned at his brother's sudden apprehension. "It's ok, Alan," he assured. When Alan continued to stare downwards meekly, Scott's frown deepened. "Alan, can I ask you a question?"

Alan looked up nervously at Scott, then nodded silently and lowered his head once more. Scott's confusion continued to grow as Alan seemed to become very tense, as though awaiting punishment.

"Alan," Scott began, "Why are you avoiding me? You seem upset every time I come close to you. It worries me."

Alan seemed a bit startled by the calm question, though kept his head downwards. He paused for a long time, contemplating his words carefully. "I…" he began quietly, "I had a flashback of you earlier…from a few years ago I think…And you were yelling at me…"

Scott felt a pang of guilt. He'd often yelled at his youngest brother, though rarely apologized. Before Alan could even finish, Scott finished the sentence for him. "And you think I hate you..." he said somberly. Alan kept his gaze lowered and didn't move a muscle. Scott paused before continuing. "Alan, I could never hate you," he said reassuringly. When Alan continued to stay silent, he sighed and walked forward, setting a gentle a hand on his shoulder. Though Alan flinched, he kept his hand firmly in place. "Please, Alan, believe me when I say I don't hate you. I don't want the bad times in our past to overshadow the good ones…"

Alan paused, though finally spoke up. "I…I'm just so confused…I don't know what to think right now…" Lowering his head even more, Alan let a couple of stray tears fall from his eyes. "I just want to remember…"

Scott felt another wave of guilt and pity wash over him, the sight of Alan's pain breaking his heart. Walking closer, he enveloped his little brother in a large hug, a rare thing for him to do. He was surprised when Alan, opposed to what Scott believed he would do, did not struggle, but embraced him back. For a few moments, Alan quietly sobbed into Scott's shoulder, clinging slightly to his shirt.

"It's not fair…I want to remember…" Alan whispered quietly through sobs.

Scott held his brother closer. "I know, Sprout…I wish you could…"

After a few minutes, Alan's sobs finally ceased. Stepping back, Scott looked his brother in the eye. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked softly. When Alan nodded, Scott smiled slightly. "Ok, let's head back to the villa. I'm sure the others are worried sick by now."

Alan paused. "You go on," he said quietly. "I need just another minute to think…"

Scott hesitated, though nodded in agreement. "Alright," he started, "But don't be gone too long, ok?"

Nodding, Alan watched as his brother walked away and soon disappeared behind the forest trees.

"Hello, Alan," another voice came from behind him. Startled, Alan spun around to find an older, bald man in a blood red robe staring back at him- the Hood.

Nervous, Alan took a couple steps backwards. "Who…who are you?" he asked uncertainly, the man seeming so familiar but yet unknown in his mind.

The man's eyes flashed with confusion for a moment. Then, they suddenly turned red for a moment, and a twinge of pain rushed through Alan's head. Groaning in pain, he closed his eyes until the pain disappeared. Opening his eyes again, Alan saw that the man's eyes were normal once more. Thinking that he'd seen things, he brushed off the idea that the man's eyes changed.

"You've lost your memory…" he wondered aloud, staring curiously at the boy. Then his face suddenly changed from wonder to pity, the man coming closer. Again, Alan stepped back as the man approached. "What have they done to you, Alan?"

Alan stared in confusion at the man, wondering what he'd meant.

"Alan, don't you recognize me? I'm your adoptive father!" he said, his lies invisible to Alan.

Alan's jaw dropped. "Wh-what did you say..?"

"Alan," the man continued to urge, "I'm your adoptive father…These people left you alone as a child, and I was there to care for you…You must remember…"

"No," Alan backed away again, shaking his head. "No, that can't be true…they found me…they rescued me…"

"No, Alan," the man stepped forward, taking Alan by the shoulders. "Don't you see? They don't care for you; they only want to take you away from me!"

Alan couldn't believe it, his story seemed so ridiculous. However, the man's eyes flashed red once more, and Alan could feel the same twinge of pain in his head once more. Suddenly, doubts began filling his mind. _What if he's right? Maybe they don't really care for me…_

"Come, Alan," the man said. "I'm taking you home where you belong…"

With the multitude of thoughts overwhelming his judgment, Alan nodded silently and followed the man.


	5. Inner Battles

**AN: Ok, as I re-read the chapter before this, I realized I somehow left out a couple lines for some reason…Weird, I don't know how they disappeared, but I'll try to fix that. Sorry if it confused anyone. o.O**

**So anywho. Sorry it took me a while to update, AGAIN. Well things have just gotten so hectic lately it's not even funny. Finals just about killed me (though school finally got out last Friday for me, yay!) and then not too long ago my friend was in a near-fatal car crash with her brother. So I just haven't had the time or the right mindset to really write a chapter lately. And sorry guys, but I'm not gunna write thank-you's for each individual reviewer for the last chapter, but I want you all to know that you're all amazing and I'm so grateful you reviewed. It helped me get the inspiration to write another chapter. Thanks, everyone:)**

**PS- Keep in mind, in my stories, John is the second oldest and Virgil is the middle child. That's just how it makes sense to me, sorry guys. Just giving you a heads up :)**

**Oh, and I made a video with clips from the 2004 TB movie, you should check it out! Just go to youtube and type in "LuvableDork" (thats my sign-in name on that site) and you'll see it in the list. :D  
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Sighing with relief that his brother didn't actually blame him, Scott opened the patio door to the villa and quietly shut it behind him. At the sound of someone entering, his brothers and father suddenly rushed in, panic clear upon each of their faces.

"Oh thank god, there you are!" Jeff said relieved, though Scott only returned an odd stare.

"Um, yeah, I just went out for a run," Scott said uncertainly, confused by his family's sudden worry.

"Where's Alan?" John muttered urgently yet angrily at him, Scott returning with a glare.

"He's on the beach, he just wanted to be alone for a while," he said simply, though with a hint of suppressed anger towards his brother.

"What?" Jeff exclaimed, his eyes going wide as saucers. "Scott, the island's defense systems have been jammed! We have to find him, _now_! Where was he when you last saw him?"

Scott's eyes then became just as large as his father's at the sudden news. "He-he was over by Marble Rock…" he said, a wave of panic scrambling his thoughts for a moment.

"Then let's go," Virgil said, being the first to rush out the door, the others close behind. After a few moments of sprinting, they soon found themselves at Marble Rock.

"Damn it! He's not here!" Gordon yelled in exasperation.

Sighing in worry, Jeff thought for a moment, before finally telling his sons, "We need to get back to the office. Maybe we can track his wristcom from there."

"Look!" Virgil suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the sand just a few feet away. Stepping closer, the men noticed not one pair of footprints in the sand, but two. Following the footprints, they found that the tracks suddenly ended just a few yards away, and far from either the water or the forest.

"Oh god," Gordon mumbled, realization dawning on not only him, but each of the others as well. Only one man could have created such a sudden end to these tracks in their escape, and that was the Hood.

Each of the men stood in dawning horror, until John finally spun to face Scott. "Great, look what you did! You left him alone when there was no security anywhere on the island, and now he's GONE!"

Scott turned to face his brother, rage equal to his brother's. "How was I supposed to know there was no security? You never contacted my wristcom! And Alan wanted to be alone, so I let him stay for a few more minutes. I wasn't gone that long!"

"Boys!" Jeff snapped, though neither Scott nor John paid attention. Virgil and Gordon could only stare on helplessly, upset at their brother's sudden feud.

"He's lost his memory Scott! Do you really think it was a good idea to let him stay on his own on a remote jungle island?" John snapped.

"That's exactly my point! We're on a remote island, where could he have run away to?" Scott yelled once more.

"Apparently _somewhere_!" John screamed back.

"_Stop it_! Both of you!" Jeff suddenly roared. Both John and Scott turned startled to face their father, Virgil and Gordon also looking on quite shocked.

"Pointing fingers won't help find Alan," Jeff said quieter, though with a bit of anger still quavering in his voice. "Now, we need to get back and find Alan, as soon as we can. And I'd better not hear either of you two bickering anymore, got it?"

His two eldest nodded, and as Jeff turned to leave, they followed close behind, Virgil and Gordon not far behind them.

* * *

"Wh-where are we?" Alan muttered nervously as he and the Hood walked down a dark corridor. However, he kept quiet and kept a firm grasp on Alan's arm, making Alan even more uncomfortable. Suddenly, the Hood stopped and turned, opening a large wooden door to the left. He then roughly threw Alan inside, causing him to fall onto the cold floor. 

"What's going on?" Alan asked, now completely terrified at the man's change in disposition and sore from the sudden drop.

The man laughed. "You've always been such a fool, Alan," he sneered. "But your loss of memory has just made things so much easier."

Alan stared in shock, comprehension growing within him. "The Tracys…they were my family, weren't they?" he said disbelieving. "I…How could I be so stupid?" he muttered to himself, looking towards the ground.

The Hood suddenly frowned. Stepping closer, he lifted his hand into the air, and Alan suddenly felt an invisible force closing around his throat, dragging him upwards into the air. Clawing at his neck futilely, he struggled to bring air into his lungs but failed.

"Listen to me closely, boy," the Hood growled dangerously, stepping even closer. "You do what I say, and you don't die. Understand?"

Alan, though a bit dizzy from the lack of air, only glared at the man, unwilling to comply with any demands he might give. Though he had no breath in his lungs, he still managed to mouth something unpleasant to him.

The Hood howled with rage, flinging Alan like a rag doll against the ground a few feet away. As Alan panted and struggled to get to his knees, the Hood came up to him and powerfully grabbed Alan's hair, snapping his head backwards. Alan cried out in pain, grabbing the man's wrist in an attempt to loosen his grip, though it failed.

"Fine, Alan," he snarled darkly. "If you want to make this even harder for yourself, be my guest."

Looking upwards into the man's face, Alan once again saw the man's eyes flash a bloody red, and the same wave of pain rushed through his head, though much stronger this time. Screaming in agony, he fell to the floor, the Hood having let go of his hair. Writhing on the floor, he could only wait helplessly for the pain to subside.

"They aren't your family," he heard the man say much calmer now. "They're the ones that killed your _real_ family. Don't you want to get back at them for taking your family away? For making you suffer like this?"

Through the pain, Alan began to believe each word that the Hood muttered. They weren't his family. They _took_ his family from him. Alan felt his blood boil, and pure rage toward the Tracys began filling his body.

"What are you going to do, Alan?" the man asked simply.

As the pain began to subside in his head, Alan sat up. Opening his eyes, he saw a red mist covering them.

"I'm going to kill them."

* * *

"Any luck?" Virgil once again asked as John frantically tried to reestablish the main systems for the island. 

As John continued to type furiously, he muttered, "Ask me that one more time..." He never broke his concentrated gaze with the computer screen, though they could still see the hint of stress haunting his eyes. Sighing, he finally sat back. "I just can't. I've tried everything I," he began, though was cut off by the sudden beeping of the computers.

Jeff sat up quickly as he recognized the sound of the systems becoming functional once more. "John, you did it!" he cried excitedly.

John simply stared at the screens for a moment, bewildered. "But…I didn't do that…"

Though he was also puzzled, Jeff soon returned to the task at hand. "Well we still need to locate Alan. Does it have a location on his watch?"

John soon began typing feverishly once more, and his eyes soon widened. "Yeah, I found him…" He continued to stare in shock, and when he continued to stay silent, the others pressed for his location.

"So where is he?" Gordon urged, ready to find his only little brother and have him home safely once more.

"He…" John began, though trailed off before beginning once more. "He's on the island…"

"What?" Scott exclaimed, the others looking just as shocked as he was.

Jeff was the first to recover. "Well where is he?"

"I'll write the coordinates, he's somewhere in the jungle," John affirmed. He quickly scribbled down the spot where the computer had located Alan, and they were all soon sprinting out the door once more.

It was nearing dusk when they left the villa, and running through the forest was fairly difficult. Finally, Jeff lifted his wrist, and as he pressed a few buttons on his wristcom, a bright light flowed from his wristcom and illuminated the area around them. John, who was leading the group- as he was the only one who had the coordinates- suddenly stopped in a small clearing. "He's somewhere around here," he said quietly, glancing around the dark jungle.

Suddenly, a slight whizzing noise brushed just in front of Jeff's face and they all turned to find a small dagger protruding from a tree not far from them. Stunned, they all turned to find Alan, and next to him, the Hood. However, Alan held a dark gleam in his eyes, which were now blood red.

The Hood unexpectedly began to laugh, a flash of evil within his own eyes. "Hello again, Tracys," he mocked. "Care to meet my new apprentice?" Placing his hand on Alan's shoulder, the others were surprised when Alan didn't move a muscle, but kept glaring at them.

"Give him back, you son of a bitch!" Scott roared, anger boiling within him. He and his brothers and father had to hold back the temptation to lunge at the man and kill him with their bare hands, and instead stood rooted to the ground.

A smirk split the Hood's face, and he removed his hand from Alan's shoulder. "As you wish," he sneered, turning to Alan. "Do as you wish, my boy."

Alan suddenly sprinted forward, taking another dagger from his belt. The others, too startled to react swiftly, barely dodged the glinting dagger in their youngest brother's hand. Alan, on the other hand, who seemed to have grown quicker, continued to slash at his brothers and father. He continued to miss until the tip of the blade finally slid deeply across Virgil's back. Crying out in pain, Virgil fell to the ground.

"Virgil!" John cried, dropping to his knees to help his brother.

Alan, seeing his second oldest brother so vulnerable, grinned maliciously and walked up silently behind him, raising the dagger high above his head, readying for the final blow to his brother.

"Alan, no!" Scott cried, calling desperately to his youngest brother, though scared to approach in fear of causing him to panic and hurt John.

Alan turned, startled at the desperation in Scott's voice, though he quickly recovered and glared at him. "Why should I? You took my family from me, you killed them cruelly! Why should I spare _your_ family?"

"Alan, we _are _your family," Scott urged, pain evident that his brother had once again forgotten.

"Save it!" Alan snapped, the dagger still high in the air in his hand above John, though lowered a bit. John, who was still within striking distance of the blade, stared horrified at his youngest brother, while trying to guard Virgil, who was still moaning in pain. Jeff and Gordon could only stare in helplessness as the scene unfolded. Across the clearing, the Hood continued to watch with a smirk. "I'm done hearing that same stupid lie!" Alan continued, his hand tightening on the blade.

"It's not a lie, Alan," Gordon confirmed, tears brimming in his eyes. "Please don't forget us, Allie. Don't forget all those good times we've had, all the times we've spent together…Alan, we'd gladly die for you, but not like this…"

Alan's eyes widened, shock clear within them. His eyes suddenly faded from their crimson shade to their normal color, and he suddenly seemed very dazed. "G-Gordon?" he muttered.

The Hood's smirk suddenly faded to a glare, and his eyes turned red once more. Alan suddenly clutched his head and backed away slightly. After a moment, his eyes shot open once more and the others realized they had returned to their dangerous red. "No!" Alan screamed. "I won't let you talk me into believing your lies!"

John finally sat up. "Alan, don't you remember that time when you were 7 and had to spend the night in my room with me the night we had the thunderstorm?" Alan simply glared at John, and before he could reply, Scott cut him off.

"Or the first time I took you up in Thunderbird 1 and you nearly made us crash with all of your curiosity?" Scott urged, trying to keep the flow of good memories coming.

"Stop it!" Alan snapped, his head beginning to throb.

"And do you remember the time we put pink hair dye in Scott's shampoo and it took him weeks to get it out?" Gordon continued, a smile tugging at his face, though the seriousness of their situation prevented it from coming through.

Jeff stepped forward, tempted to comfort his son who was obviously in pain from the struggle in his mind, though he could only urge the memories in his mind to return. "Son, don't let yourself forget about Mom, either…she loved you so much, don't let that fade away…"

At the mention of his mother, what seemed to be a dam of memories shattered, and his entire life flowed into his mind in a matter of moments. The sudden burst of memories made his head throb, though it began releasing the grip the Hood had on his mind, and his eyes faded to their regular color once more. However, the Hood saw his hold on Alan break once more, and concentrated as much power as he could towards Alan's mind.

Alan screamed in pure agony, and dropped to his knees, holding his head in his hands, his body trembling in pain.

"Alan!" his brothers and father called, though he could hardly hear it. His mind was filled with the battle between his will and the Hood's, and the pain was extremely difficult to overcome.

"Kill them, Alan!" the Hood roared, still concentrating on overpowering the boy.

Alan, his head still lowered and his eyes clenched shut in pain, picked up the dagger once more. Sitting up on his knees, Alan tried to catch his breath as he raised the dagger. The air was tense, and none of the men could tell if Alan was back to his normal self or still in the clutches of the Hood. John was right next to Alan, and the others were fearful that he'd strike out and stab his brother.

All of a sudden, Alan's body stopped trembling and his body became still other than his breathing. The silence was deafening to Alan's brother and father until he muttered, "This ends now…"

Suddenly, Alan thrust his arm, and the blade as well, and a cry of pain was heard as the sound of steel piercing skin resounded through the clearing.


	6. Final Ending to a Life

**Ok, so here's another chapter for my story! Sorry it's so short, I didn't have much time to write this. But at least you're not hanging as much anymore! Haha but thank you SOOO much to everyone who reviewed, I really, really appreciate it. It definitely helps me get excited to write each new chapter! But as I was reading through the reviews, I was a bit saddened that some people stopped reviewing. I mean I know the people who continue to review like it but is it living up to everyone else's expectations too, or should I work on it a bit? Let me know, I love knowing what you think, even if it's telling me to improve. That way I can make better stories in the future! But thanks again to ****criminally charmed, ****xXPhilippineSunshineXx, ****shadowfox8, ****shadowwolf919, ****bluesweetie1978****, and those under anonymous names for reviewing:) Oh, and I updated my homepage (the link on my author's page), you should go check it out! Now, on with the story!**

**Oh, and the chapter's title is "Final Ending to a Life". Just thought you should notice that before you read. It adds suspense. Haha. :)**

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"Alan!" Scott cried horrified as Alan plunged the knife into his own stomach. Alan's eyes shot open as the pain coursed through him, and each of the men could see that his eyes had completely turned to normal.

"No!" The Hood roared, furious that he'd just lost his only puppet. He could only stand by and watch angrily, while his mind rushed through different ways he could continue without Alan under his control. The others momentarily forgot him in their sudden fear for Alan.

"Oh god," Jeff gasped. "Alan!" Running to his son's side, he just barely caught him before he hit the ground. Alan's breath became jagged and laborious, but he slowly continued. However, his eyes began to glaze over, and his head began to loll to the side.

"No, Alan," Jeff urged, shaking his son slightly, "You have to stay with us…" Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, and his throat constricted in a subdued sob as he watched his youngest son, his baby boy, the final miracle given from his wife, suffered and fought to stay alive.

"I…I'm trying," Alan said hoarsely, as he continued to take shallow, ragged breaths. Scott and Gordon immediately rushed over, while John watched shocked nearby as he held a weak, yet still worried Virgil.

"A-Alan?" Virgil asked tiredly, the pain from his back draining his strength. He was scared when he heard Scott and Jeff's cries, though was too weak to sit up and see what was going on. "What happened..?"

John, still in shock, continued to stare over at Alan before looking down to Virgil. "It's alright, Virg," John said encouragingly, trying to comfort his brother and avoid him using up too much energy with worry. "Everything's ok…" However, Virgil, though still weak, could still sense his brother's fear and anguish.

"John," Virgil urged, the tone in his voice signaling that he knew something was obviously wrong, and didn't have the patience to be lied to.

John sighed, looking from Virgil to Alan, then quickly back again. "Alan…got hurt," he said carefully, trying not to alarm Virgil, though it didn't work. Virgil's eyes immediately widened.

"How bad?" Virgil pressed, trying to sit up, though immediately fell back again when a wave of pain ran through his back.

"Careful!" John said quickly, catching his brother as he fell again. "He…he'll be fine, just rest now…"

"Oh Al," Scott moaned sorrowfully, kneeling next to his brother and running his hand softly over his little brother's cheek. At the touch of Alan's much cooler skin, Scott shuddered. "Why did you do that?"

"I…I couldn't let…myself hurt you guys," Alan said shakily through breaths. "I had…to stop myself somehow…"

Jeff felt his heart twinge at his son's words. He always knew Alan had a heart of gold- no, diamond- and would never let his brothers or father get hurt if he had the chance to take their place. But to see Alan's sacrifice before his very eyes shattered his heart into what seemed to be a million unfixable pieces.

Gordon, who'd stayed silent since Alan stabbed himself, suddenly felt a rush of fury flow through is veins. What right did that man have to force his brother to choose between his own safety and his brothers'? What right did he have to tear them all apart? None, that's what. He'd lost his brother once by his own fault, and he didn't plan on losing him again to this man's cruelty. Taking up the blade that Alan had dropped, he suddenly stood and charged at the Hood, screaming with rage.

Though the Hood hadn't been looking in his direction when Gordon first ran towards him, he sensed him coming with his mind, and swiftly turned to face him. Just as Gordon was about to reach him, the Hood swung his arm around, sending Gordon flying against a tree a few feet away. Gordon gasped out in pain and fell to the ground motionless.

"Gordon!" Jeff cried, feeling helpless as he watched a third son of his get hurt.

The Hood suddenly laughed, turning to face the remaining men. "Let's see, Jeff," he smirked. "That's three…let's go for…five." Raising both of his hands, Scott and John began lifting into the air, clawing at their closing throats.

"No! Please!" Jeff cried, feeling so powerless that he could not help his sons. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"It's too late, Tracy!" the Hood laughed.

Scott and John continued to struggle, though Jeff soon saw that both of the boys were becoming weaker. "No…please…" Jeff said quieter, tears beginning to flow as his two eldest sons dangled in the air, slowly losing consciousness.

"Over here, Hood!" a voice suddenly rang out behind the Hood. Dropping Scott and John to the ground, he spun around to face the voice but was suddenly stopped as he felt a piercing pain in his heart. His eyes widening in shock, the Hood looked down to find the blade he had given Alan sticking out from his chest. Looking up, he found Gordon; hand still on the blade's hilt.

Twisting the blade further into the Hood's heart, Gordon growled to him, "This is for Alan, you son of a bitch!"

As the blade twisted ruthlessly into his heart, the Hood let out an agonizing scream. Clenching his eyes shut, he fell to the ground and lie unmoving.

Gordon stood silent and took a few deep breaths as his actions begin to sink in. Letting out a strong sigh, he took one last look at the Hood before walking over to his father and brothers. John and Scott, though still a bit dizzy, were fine, and while John once again began to comfort a distressed Virgil, Scott was once again kneeling next to Jeff and Alan. Taking his place next to Scott, Gordon began to panic as he realized Alan had lost consciousness. "Is he-?" he began, though was cut off.

"He's alive," Jeff confirmed, though his worried eyes stayed on Alan. "But we need to get him to the infirmary right away." Standing up, he carefully began rushing towards the villa, Scott and Gordon close behind, John following steadily with Virgil in his arms.

Scott suddenly stopped, motioning back to the Hood's lifeless body. "What about him?"

Jeff stopped, also looking back and thinking carefully. Finally, he decided, "Once we take care of Alan and Virgil, we can take him to the mainland so the FBI can take care of him." Sighing in relief that the man that hunted them for so long was finally gone, he turned around once more, and they all silently made their way up to the villa.

* * *

Silence. 

Silence more deafening than any alarm or siren filled the air, shared between Jeff, Gordon, and the two eldest Tracy brothers. Jeff and Gordon had found chairs in the kitchen and brought them to sit across from the sickbay door, while John stood leaning against the wall next to them, arms crossed head lowered. On the other side of the hall, next to the sickbay door, Scott sat against the wall, knees bent and his elbows leaning against them, his forehead buried deep into his hands.

They each waited in strained silence for hours, awaiting the condition of their middle brother and the fate of their youngest. Through the silence, Scott finally let out a sigh. "You were right, John," he muttered past his hands.

John looked up quietly, confused. "What?"

Scott put down his hands and looked upwards to the ceiling, his eyes red and swollen from tears. "You were right," he said again, nodding as if to confirm his own thoughts. "You were right, it was my fault…"

"Scott," John started, feeling guilty that his words had truly hurt his oldest brother. To see his brother in such a state was a rare occurrence, and it clearly shocked the others to see him like this.

However, Scott cut him off, staring off into space. "If I'd stayed with him and protected him like I should have," he continued, as though he never heard John, "none of this would have happened…"

"Listen to me, Scott," John urged, going over to his older brother and kneeling beside him. Resting a gentle hand on Scott's shoulder, he tried to continue without letting any of his own tears fall. "I didn't mean a word I said. None of this is your fault, it just happened."

Scott smiled a bit, though longing showed in Scott's eyes as they continued to release tears. Lowering his gaze to meet John's, he sighed, "If only that were true John…" His smile fading, he let go of more tears as he dropped his gaze to the ground and rested his forehead against the heel of his palm once more.

"Oh Scott…" John said forlornly. Silently, he wrapped his arms around Scott in a rare embrace. Scott at first was surprised at the gesture, his eyes widening, though he soon calmed and settled his head against his brother's shoulder and let himself feel like a child for a brief moment. "Believe me, Scott," John continued. "It's not your fault. I promise we'll get through this…"

While Jeff smiled inwardly at the tender moment between his eldest sons, Gordon sat stone-faced as he watched. Guilt washed over him as the memory of the day the dam broke played constantly in his head. _It's not Scott's fault, it's mine…If only I'd held on tighter, Alan would still be here having fun with us…But now…_Sighing, Gordon suddenly stood up and walked sulking down the hall to his room, the others looking on in surprise. _Now everything's gone wrong…_


	7. Struggles

**For all of my readers- I am sooo unbelievably sorry. Life...well, life has thrown me a few curveballs lately, to say the least... With the deaths of two friends (within 2 weeks of each other), 5 finals tests, joining NHS, and selling our house/moving, I've just...I've had a lot.**

**But 10 months is just too much, I know. And I'm sorry... Thank you to all of my loyal readers, for sticking with my stories through thick and thin. You don't know how much I appreciate that. **

**And thanks soo much to my amazing beta criminally charmed. She is just that: amazing. Thanks so much, CC.**

--

Morning seemed to come more slowly than any of them would have liked. The night had been filled with unbearably long silences, and a morbid sense of darkness that seemed to reflect the feeling of each of them. Scott sat silently, his head titled back against the wall and his eyes glazed over listlessly letting his gaze wander back and forth, seeing nothing. John leaned slightly against Scott, his hands fidgeting idly in his lap, a stony expression mirroring their father's. Jeff sat across the hallway, looking as worn and haggard as his sons. But he was the only one with traces of tears in his eyes. Together they sat, waiting and worrying.

As the first pale line of dawn's light appeared in the hallway, Brains finally stepped out from behind the infirmary doors. He looked exhausted but had a satisfied smile on his face. Immediately, the Tracys were on their feet.

"W-Well", the frazzled scientist began, "they're b-b-both in good c-condition, though they'll b-be asleep for a wh-wh-while with all of the p-pain killers I gave them. V-V-Virgil needed a lot of s-stitches, but it was nothing t-t-too serious. And Alan…" he paused, fixing his glasses shakily as the others gave him weary looks. "A-Alan needed e-e-extensive surgery for his injuries, and w-we'll have to m-m-monitor him closely for any c-complications…But I-I'm confident both will m-m-make full recoveries. They'll j-just need time."

Nodding, Jeff asked unsurely, "So, can we see them, Brains?"

Brains smiled tiredly, stepping away from the door. "Of c-course, M-Mr. Tracy."

They didn't need to be told twice. Not hesitating for a moment, the three Tracy men rushed into the room, eager to see their injured family members. The white lights of the infirmary were far brighter than the gloomy dimness of the hallway, and it took a few moments for their vision to clear. However, they didn't stop for a moment, immediately recognizing the still figures of the younger Tracys.

"Wow, it sure is good to see you two again," Scott sighed as he watched his brothers' chests rise and fall. Quietly, he sat next to Alan, who seemed much paler than Virgil, and began to stroke his hair.

"Yeah," John said with a slight smile. "But I have to admit, you both look like shit…"

"John," Jeff warned lightly. He was going to say more, but was stopped by a gentle voice.

"I heard that."

"Virgil!" John said surprised, nearly jumping out of his skin. He and Jeff rushed to his side while Scott stood up from Alan's bed, all three of them becoming wide-eyed in surprise.

"But Brains said you'd be knocked out from the pain killers." John wondered, looking questioningly from Virgil to his father.

Virgil smiled tiredly, barely being able to turn his head to the side. "I've probably gotten a tolerance for painkillers from growing up with you guys."

For the first time since Alan's disappearance, Jeff couldn't help but smile. It felt good. Watching over Alan, Scott sat back down with a smile as well. Jeff couldn't help but feel a rush of relief mixed with anxiety. He knew it would be a long time until any of them were really healed. But he also knew they could get through it, together.

Perking up, John's eyes brightened with a sudden realization. "Hey, Gords doesn't know yet. Do you think I should go get him?"

Virgil frowned drowsily. "Where is he? Is he ok?"

"Dunno," Scott said quietly, looking from Jeff to John, silently asking if they knew what was wrong, though it was obvious neither knew. Looking back at Virgil he sighed, "He got upset and left a couple hours ago. We figured he needed some time to rest and calm down."

"Yeah, I'd better go get him. Be right back," John said, getting up.

"OK. Well, I'm going back to sleep. Tell the little ass to be here when I wake up," Virgil said jokingly. Jeff nearly scolded him but decided to let it slide. Yet even if he had, Virgil wouldn't have heard him. He was fast asleep before John even left the room.

As John walked down the hallway, he couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming shock over the events of the last 24 hours. After coming home for the first time since his brother's "funeral", he'd found out Alan was actually alive but had amnesia. Then Alan had been taken away again and controlled by their worst enemy. The drama had two of his younger brothers being badly hurt and having to watch as his other younger brother killed a man. It was bewildering, to say the least.

But at the same time, it was sobering in a way. When Alan "died"…John had thought he'd never be able to move on. Alan had always been a constant in their lives, and it had shattered the family when he was gone. But through some miracle, he'd made it back. The question was, would they get another such miracle next time? And for now, would Alan still have his memories when he woke up, or were they gone again? Would Alan be emotionally scarred and frightened for the rest of his life? John knew time would tell, but contrary to his star-gazing nature, he didn't want to have the patience to find out.

Finally reaching Gordon's room, John was surprised to find the door open, the room undisturbed and empty. After a moment, John got the idea to check Alan's room where he found Gordon.

Gordon's back was turned from the door as he sat on Alan's bed. The second youngest brother was unnaturally still, though he was shaking a bit as he stared out the window. John could see Gordon's shivering from the doorway, which didn't surprise him; the room was filled with the unmoving cold of morning air. When John knocked on the door, Gordon seemed not to notice.

"Gords?" John asked carefully, walking up to Gordon. He gasped in surprise when he saw the horribly haunted look in Gordon's eyes. "Gordon?" he asked again.

After a few moments of silence, Gordon opened his mouth as though to say something, though he slowly closed it again. John waited patiently, sitting next to Gordon as he sifted through his thoughts. "Is he…are they ok?" Gordon finally asked in a quiet, cracked voice.

"Yeah, they're both fine," John assured, but even he was having trouble believing the words as they left his mouth. "They're sleeping now." John tried to seem optimistic for his brother, but Gordon kept his distant gaze. Stuck in an uncomfortable silence, John added in slight amusement, "Oh, and Virgil says he expects you to get your ass down to the infirmary by the time he wakes up."

Gordon couldn't help but smile slightly, but John was disappointed when the grin faded back into his morose stare.

"Ok, Gords, what's wrong," John sighed, more of a firm statement than a question.

There was another long pause. Gordon frowned even further, thinking, then shuddered again. Closing his eyes, he finally sighed, "What if he blames me?" It was so quiet that John barely heard, though he did catch it.

"What? Why would Virgil-,"

"No," Gordon cut him off, frustrated, though he quickly calmed down once more and opened his eyes, which now had a trace of tears lining them. "What if…what if _Alan_ blames me?" Giving one more hard stare out the window, he finally turned to look at his brother, his eyes begging him for the answer.

John was startled, to say the least, and also felt pity for his brother. For someone so young, he looked haggard, old, and broken. He wasn't even sure if Gordon had looked this worn at Alan's funeral.

Confused, John struggled, "Wha-…What do you mean? Why would- why would he blame you?"

Gordon lowered his gaze, though he didn't completely turn away. "He…I-I don't know."

John frowned. "Gordon, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, ok?" Gordon snapped, now fully turning away, as he rested his head in his hand, his elbow on his knee.

John's frown deepened, but he knew that he wouldn't do either of them any good to push farther. After another tense moment, John finally sighed, "Look, I'm sorry…Do you just want to go see them?"

Gordon hesitated, swallowing hard. Lifting his head, however, he nodded. John followed Gordon out, leaving the cold room behind.

--

Days passed, and though a cheerier mood had come to the island, there was still a sense of doubt and worry enshrouding its inhabitants. Virgil had woken up multiple times over the course of the passed days. But Alan remained asleep, still too weak to awaken yet. Luckily, there hadn't been any signs of complications, although Brains maintained that there was still a possibility. With that in mind they all began to take shifts on watching over their two bedridden family members.

Tonight was Gordon's turn. As he sat in the awkwardly in a small chair, he couldn't help but give out a large yawn. None of them had really gotten any real sleep lately, but for now the others were trying to get some rest. As he studied the nearby clock, watching as the hands read that it'd finally become 3 a.m., Gordon had a hard time keeping his eyes open. Virgil, now on milder pain killers, wasn't helping either- his snoring actually made Gordon sleepier.

However, a small sudden movement to his right caught his attention. It was so slight that he'd barely noticed, but luckily he had. Turning, he saw Alan's head tilt slightly to the side and his hand moving slightly. Excited, Gordon rushed to Alan's side; his exhaustion pushed aside as he grabbed Alan's hand.

"Alan?" Gordon asked eagerly. "Alan, are you awake? Come on Al, open your eyes…"

Alan grumbled. "Come on…five more minutes…"

Gordon couldn't help but smile. "No way, you gotta get up!"

Reluctantly, Alan managed to crack open his eyes. "Why?" he said tiredly. "And where am I?"

* * *


End file.
